Automatic train-stopping device.



Patented July 18, 1911.

F. A. PIERCE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE. APPLICATION H'Lm MAR. 30, 1907 RENEWED JUNE 2, 1909. 998,260.

Mr O my R E m V 9 w in m m f% Bu To TRMN Lula and resident of "Wheeling, county of Ohio,

, in any convenient position on the engine,

' a piston-chamberii and a slide-valve chest ITEDSIQQIES f1 PATIENT denies.

FRANKLIN-A PIERCE, OE WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOI-t 0F ONE-FIFTH TO JOSEPH GATEWOOD AND JACOB TI-IONEN AND ONE-EIGHTH T01 W. J. DUFFY, OF

McMECHEN, WEST VIRGINIA, MORE, MARYLAND, ONE-SIXTEENTH T0 ONE-EIGHTH T0 THOMAS FITZGERALD, or Banter enn E. oswatn-ann was r. mvnns,

OFBELLAIRE, OHIO}, ONE-TWENTIETH TU PHILIP CONNIFF, 01" WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, AND ONE-SIXTEENTH TO J. It. ONBERDONK Y 'AND ONE-EIGH1 H' TOA. P. PRENDERGAST, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC rn-a'm srcrrine tame.

Specification of! Letters Patent.

\ v N F" 1 Application filed March 30, 1907, Serial No. 685,1?8. Renewed June 2, 1909. Serial No. 499cm,

llo all whoa nit may concern Be itknown that I, FRANKLIN A. Pianos, a citizen of the United States'of America,

' My invention relates to new and useful lmprovements in train'stopping devices, and it has for its chief/object toprovide automatic means whereby the brakes-of a rail way train are applied and said train stopped WllllOllb the intervention of theengineer. upon saidtrains passing a warning semaphore or track-signal unheeded.

A further object of the invention is to'provide on the engine or other portion of a railway train a simple and inexpensive device, having connection with the ordinary airbrake system, which is adapted to be initially set in operation for a plying the brakes by suitable electrical circuits connected therewith, one of which circuits is closed rendering it operative by the engagement of suitable contacts, one contact being car ried by the engine or other portion of the train, while the other contact is carried by a movable portion of the semaphore or signal.

With these and, other objects in view, the invention finally consists in the particular construction, arrangement and combination! in side elevation."

Referring to said drawings, in which like reference-numerals designate like parts throughout the several views1 indicates. a. release-valve which is adapted for mounting said valve consisting, in part, of'a head 2,

e, the latter being in open communication ,piston 5 and having connection through a pipe/6 with the train line. Attached to the front face of said piston 5 is a slide-valve 7 havinga port 8 .therethrongh which, at. the

end of the aw s, forward stroke, registers w th an exhaust port-9 in the side of said SllClB-VfllYB chest. 4

Patented my in} 911;

, Leadi ,9; through the head 2 is a seriesoi':

communicating portslO, 11, 12 andlil which admit of the passage of air fromthe m a-in reservoir of the engine to the pisto am communicationatits outer end with a pipe 14 leading to said [main reservoir, The ports 12 and '13 are in aliuement and are her 3v behind the piston, said part1. having is forfiied at the junction oisaid ports '12 and 13 for the reception, of a cut-off valve 16 carried by said piston-rod. The port .10

is substantially horizontal, while the end of the port 11 communicating therewith is ,at' substantially a right angle thereto.-

An electromagnet 18' is rigidly supported upon the upper end ofa pin-valve 19 which is vertically movable in a hole or guide way 20 in said head 2, said pin-valve normally standing with its pointprojectedinto said port 11 in front of theginner end 'of the port '10, eifectually closing communication be;

' tween said ports 10 and 11. time poleof said magnet '18 is; suitably grounded through a wire 21 upon the iron mass of the e engine, while the opposite pole is connected view, a portion of the engine being shown .by a wire 22 with a suitable contactrplate 23 carried in an appropriate position on the engine for making contact with a contactplate'fid; located adjacent to the rails of the track near a sem'a orefor. ,other-'tracksignal; Said contact 'late 2411s arranged in any appropriate manner to be controlled -fstance',- iupon the yertical portionipt fan in: its

sulated rocker whose crank-arm 26 is connected in any suitable manner with said semapnore to be ope atcd thereby for raising and lowering said contact-plate. A bat.-

tery 27, has one side uitably grounded,

While its other side 29 is connected to said contact-plate 9ft.

Appropriately supported, as by a bracket 30, over the magnet 1S-is a second magnet 31 which is connected by a wire to one side at" battery 33 carried on the engine, the opposite side of said battery being connected by a wire 34; to a contact-plate 35 mounted upon, but insulated from, the outer end. of the piston-rod Carried byv the magne 31 is a fixed contact 36 which is connected by wire 37 to the opposite pole of said magnet, and carried by the magnet 18 is a similar fixed contact which is connected by a wire 39 to a suitable contact-bracket 4:0 carried by the outer end of the head 2 at apoint adjacent to. the path of movement of the piston-rod 15 and normally in contact with the contact-plate 35 carried by said piston-rod.

As is obvious, when contact is made be tween the contact-plates 23 and 24c, as when a moving train passes by a semaphore whose signal arm is set to indicate danger ahead, the magnet 1.8 becomes excited and is immediately raised up by the attraction of the magnet, bringing the contacts 36 and 38 into Contact, completing an electrical circuit which consists of said. contacts, the mag; net 31, "battery 83, contact-plates 35 and 40, and circuit-wires 3%, and 37. This action raises the pin-valve 19 from the port 11, allowing the main reservoir pressure of air .to pass nnobstructedly to the piston-chaming one end seatedagainst the front end of the slide-valve 7 and its opposite-end suitably held,'as in a socket 43 at the end of the slide-valye chamber 4,'is compressed by the.

forward movement of the slidevalve, and

gradually forces said slide-valve and the piston back to their normal positions as. they air behind said piston exhausts to the atmosphere through the port t1. Immediately said spring forces the slide-valve back tar enough to cutoff comi'nunication between the ports 8 and 9,.t-he train line may again be recharged. At the same time that, or

slightly before, the piston reaches the limit of its forward movement, the commit-plate 35 carried by the piston is withdra 'u from contact with the contact-bracket 10, breaking the circuit through theelectromagncis and consmuently allowing the magnet 18 to drop to its normal position, and, through the then salted pin'valve 19, closing ccmmunication between the ports 10 and 11.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by my invention means are provided whereby when a semaphore is set to indicate that a train is to be brought to a stop a train passing said semaphore unheeded will automatic: lly be brought to a standstill, the brakes being automatically applied.

Having thus fully described my inventitm, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the type set forth a release valve comprising a head, a piston chamber and a valve chest having a port, said head having a port. therein leading into the piston chamber and having a second port connnunicating with the main reservoir of the air brake system. and with said first port, a piston in the piston chamber havinga rod extending in said gftirst named port, and. carrying a valve to close said first named port, a valve in the valve chest carried by said piston and formed with. a. port, and a valve controlling the admission of air from said main, reservoir to 'the piston.

2. In combination with the train line and the main reservoir, means arranged between said line and reservoir actuated by the pressure from the main reservoir to enable the train line pressure to exhaust, said means including a piston and rod therefor, means carried by said rod to shut oil the pressure from the main reservoir when said piston is in position to enablethe train line prcl'wa'ire to exhaust, and means operated by the piston duringits movement to exhaust position to close communication with said main reservoir.

the main reservoir, means actuated by the pressure from the main reservoir for offooting the exhaust of the pressure from the train line, means for admitting said main reservoir pressure to said means to operate the same, and means actuated during the movement of said first named means to exeeaaeo 'haust osition to cut-oil said main reservoir P pressure.

the main reservoir, a release valve interposed between the two embodying a piston actuated by the main reservoir pressure to enable the train line pressure to exhaust, means for controlling; the main reservoir pressure to said piston, means included in an electrical circuit for operating said last named means to open the main reservoir, ton. actuated by the position, and means operated by said piston to break said circuit to permit said controlling means to move to closed position.

7. In combination with the train line and means including a pismain reservoir pressure to efiect the exhaust of the train line pressure, means to return said piston td normal ition after actuation, and means operated hii said piston during its movement to ex; haust position to automatically cut-oil said main reservoir pressure.

8. In combination With the train line and the main reseuvoir, means actuat-edby the main'r'eservoir pressure to effect the exhaust of the-train line pressure, means for controL ling the main reservoir pressure, and means operated by said first named means to cause said controlling means to assume closed posltion when said piston is in exhaust position.

9. In combination with the train line and automatically main reservoir pressure to effect the exhaust of the train line pressure, and means for cutting ed the main line pressure when said first named means is in ex haust position.

10. In combination with the train line and the main reservoir, a spring pressed valve actuated by the main reservoir pressure to effect the exhaust of the train line pressure, by said to out 03 the main reservoir pressure.

ii. In combination with the train line and the main reservoir, a spring pressed 'exadmission of the.

position hausting valve operated by the main reservoir pressure to effect the exhaust of the train line pressure, said valve being connected toand controlled in its movement by a piston, and means carried by the piston rod for cutting oil the main reservoir pressure when the train-line exhausting position is reached. Y

12. In combination with the train line and the main reservoir, 3. piston carrying a valve and a rod, said piston having communication with the main reservoir, to be operated by the main reservoir pressure, means included in an electrical circuit. for controlling said communication, and means on said rod included in said circuit whereby upon movement of said piston to exhaust position. said circuit Will be broken to enable said controlling means to assume closed position and thereby cut oil the main reservoir pressure.

13. In combination with the train line. and

the main reservoir, exhausting means for the train line pressure operated by the main reservoir pressure, said means including a piston carrying a slide valve, means for r storing said exhausting means to normal position, and means carried by the piston rod for cutting off the main reservoir pressure when said exhausting meansreaches operative position.

14. in combination with the the main reservoir, a valve actuated by the main reservoir pressure to effect the exhaust of the train line pressure, means to admit the main reservoir pressure to said valveto operate the same, means movable with the valve to cutoff the main reservoir pressure When said valve is in exhausting position, and second cut-off means automatically operated by said valve when the same moves to exhaust position.

15. In automatic emergency brake applying mechanism, a valve casing-connected to the train pipe and having an exhaust open to the atmosphere, a valve slidablymounted on one side of the casing to control said exhaust, means for holding the valve to the side of the casing, means for holding it normally over theexhaust, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder having its rod secured to the said valve, and means for admitting fluid pressure to said piston to move the valve from the exhaust.

In testimony FRANKLIN A. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

H. E. DUNLAP' 7 E. A. LENKARD.

train line and. 

